The Milan News-Leader
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Big Reds still positive after road defeats
Agar finds the range from three, but Jets, Pirates pull away
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: January 10, 2008
The deficit was more than 20 points. There was just 1:05 left to play. The loss was about to be the Milan girls' basketball team's ninth in a row to start the season.
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But nonetheless, when backup center Whitney Farmer rejected a Napoleon shot to keep the final margin from growing further in Monday's game, starting center Allie McAfee and senior forward Stephanie Roe (among others) both cheered loudly from the bench for their teammate's play.
It was one sign that the Big Reds have stayed positive despite two more road losses to open 2008, 47-31 at Airport last Thursday and 63-36 at the hands of the Pirates Monday. The defeats dropped Milan to 0-9 overall and 0-6 in Huron League play.
As they had in multiple previous games, Milan improved in the second and third quarters of their game with Napoleon but by that time had already fallen well behind after a difficult first quarter. The Pirates roared out of the gate and a single Devon Cosner basket would provide all of Milan's first period scoring as the Big Reds trailed 20-2 entering the second.
Milan would regroup and outscore the home team 10-9 in the second, trailing 29-12 at the half, and would threaten to make a game of it in the third quarter.
Ashley Agar hit a pair of three-pointers in the first two minutes after the break, drawing Milan within 30-18. Lani Ernst would go on to hit a pair of free throws and a driving layup with 3:58 left in the period to pull the Big Reds within a point of single digits at 35-25.
But that was as far as the rally would get. Following a McAfee basket with 3:08 in the third, the Pirates would rip off 13 straight points to close that quarter and open the fourth, pushing the lead all the way out to 52-27 and putting the game well out of reach.
Agar would lead the Big Reds in scoring on the night with 11. McAfee and Cosner followed with six points apiece, while Kasey Splitt added five points, Ernst four, and Farmer and Samantha Harmon with two apiece.
McAfee led the Big Reds on the glass with nine rebounds while Roe collected five. McAfee also recorded a team-high three steals and Ernest led Milan with a pair of assists.
Against Airport, the Big Reds saw the homestanding Jets take a narrow 9-5 lead into the second quarter but slowly expand it from there, going up 18-12 at halftime, 30-21 after three quarters, and by 16 at the final buzzer.
Agar connected on three three-pointers to lead Milan with 11 points. She was followed by McAfee with six, Cosner with five, Ernst with four, Roe with three, and Kaitlin Ludwig and Harmon with a point each. As she would do against Napoleon, McAfee led the Big Reds in both rebounds and steals with 10 and 3, respectively.
Milan will look to break into the win column against New Boston Huron at home tonight at 7 p.m.
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